


Dinner and a Binder

by demondean111



Series: FtM!Nico Coming Out to Everyone [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Acceptance, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, I'm Bad At Tagging, Internalized Transphobia, Jason & Nico Bromance, Male Friendship, Nico Feels, Other, Protective Jason Grace, Sad Nico, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Hatred, Trans Character, Trans Nico, ftm character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-11-08 11:24:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11080566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demondean111/pseuds/demondean111
Summary: A one shot in which Nico is a trans boy, but has never admitted it to anyone. Jason accidently walks in on him changing and sees his binder.





	Dinner and a Binder

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“ _ Mis Amigos!” _ Leo yelled from somewhere on the Argo II, “ _ La cena _ is served, thanks to the one and only lady killer, Leo Valdez!” 

Jason didn’t even have to see him in order to know that Leo had a smug grin on his face and his curly hair was probably in his eyes, only making him look more guilty of something.

The half-bloods trickled into the dining area, all grabbing their meals. Percy, Annabeth, and Jason were in a playful conversation. They were loud enough to fill the entire ship with laughs and frequent screams. It wasn’t until everyone started to settle that Jason realized one of them was missing. He started to do a mental check. 

On the end of the table, across from him, was Percy. He had a goofy smile and loving eyes as Annabeth enthused on about something Jason was sure Percy didn’t even understand. Annabeth was obviously there, making architecture and math seem like the most fascinating subjects in the world, and everyone around her would laugh. She’d get embarrassed, but then Percy would beg her to go on, so she would. They were truly in their own world altogether. Then there was Piper, at Jason’s side, holding his hand under the table. Her caramel colored skin contrasted perfectly against his own and her ever-changing eye color was bright and full of life. A grin played on her face and Piper’s laughs had to be the most beautiful thing Jason had ever heard. It was mainly Leo who got those laughs out of her. He sat next to Piper, making a joke out of every word she said, but not in an annoying way. His spanish accent was almost unnoticeable, but the way he mixed the two languages regularly made his accent more pronounced. Leo had a confidence around the safety of his friends that he didn’t have anywhere else. Instead of shying behind everyone else, his shoulders were broad and his voice cut through everyone else’s. Frank, next to him, was lost in conversation with Hazel. 

Then it hit Jason. 

“Where’s Nico?” He asked, everyone’s conversations stopping. 

Collectively, their heads turned to where he usually sat, next to Hazel. Jason realized how little everyone paid attention to Nico, simply because Nico was hard to reach at times. 

Jason sighed and shook his head, guilt hitting him like a truck. He pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. Piper’s hand was still in his and he kissed it softly. 

“I’ll be back, I’m going to get Nico.” Jason stated and everyone nodded.

“Hey, Jason,” Percy called as Jason started to walk away. 

“Yeah, Percy?” He turned back to look at the black-haired boy.

“Thanks for looking out for Nico. For all of us, I guess.” He gave his famous side-smile and gave Jason an air fist bump.

Nico technically didn’t have a room, so it was further away from the rest of the rooms on the Argo II. Jason walked through the ship’s hallways quietly, trying to think of something to say other than,  _ “Sorry we forgot about you, bro. We were caught up in other things.” _

Without thinking much of it, Jason pushed open the door to where Nico was sleeping.

Jason wasn’t sure what he saw when he saw it. 

“Close the door, for Hades sake!” Nico hissed, covering what resembled a sports bra with the shirt he had been holding.

Jason was speechless, blubbering nonsense, “We- A...I, um. S-...Sorry, Nico.”

He quickly shut the door and tried to make sense of everything. 

What was Nico wearing? Why was he wearing it? Is that why he was so insecure about changing in front of everyone? 

It felt like hours before Nico opened the door, but it had probably only been a minute or two. 

The way he avoided eye-contact, his flushed cheeks, and his inward stance gave it away to Jason that he had stepped over a million boundaries. 

“Look...Nico...I-I didn’t...I wasn’t...I didn’t mean to embarrass you..” Jason stuttered, feeling quite awkward and uncomfortable himself.

“Just…” Nico scowled and grabbed Jason’s wrist, pulling him in the room and shutting the door. 

“What do you think you saw?” Nico asked, arms folded over his chest as if he was trying to hide something. 

“You…” Jason stated, “You changing. But you had something else on..? What was it, if you don’t mind me asking..”

Nico sighed, running a hand through his hair and looking down. He let out a dull laugh, as if he was laughing at the situation they were currently in. He seemed to need to collect himself before even trying to speak.

“That, Grace. That horrible, yet amazing, thing is called a binder. I’ve had one since I was 10.” Nico’s voice shook with an uncertainty and wariness and Jason still couldn’t understand why.

“Why do you...Why do you wear it?” 

“To hide what I shouldn’t even have. To look somewhat like how I was meant to look.”

Jason’s eyebrows furrowed as a whirlwind of thoughts flood through his head, none of them clicking as to why Nico would need to hide any part of his body. 

Nico grew irritated with Jason’s arrogance and groaned. “I’m trans!” He yelled out, the words seeming like they were venomous by how Nico said them.

He turned away from Jason, shoulders moving shakily. Nico was crying. Jason wasn’t quite sure what to do, what to say, anything really. He had limited, almost no, knowledge on transgender people. He walked to Nico slowly and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. He turned Nico, then pulled him into a protective hug. Nico’s silent cries turned into pain filled sobs , his entire body shaking with dejection and self-hatred. Hiccups jolted his body, but Jason still held him securely. 

“Nico,” Jason spoke in a soothing, hushed tone, “Nico, this doesn’t change anything about you. You know that, right? You’re still a really good friend and I still care about you just as much as I do any of those other guys out there.” 

Nico’s sobs calmed down, but his body still shook lightly. 

“I-... I’ve been in constant fear t-that someone would see me...w-who I really am. A-and they’d..be disgusted. They’d t-think I’m some freak..more of a freak than I already am…”

“Well, Nico,  no one has to know until you’re ready. And when you are, you’ve got me to beat up anyone who so much as tries to look at you the wrong way.” Jason said tenaciously. 

Nico broke into a small smile and he pulled away from Jason. His face was soaked with tears, as was Jason’s shirt. It was more than obvious Nico was crying, from his flushed and wet face, to his glossy, red eyes.

“Why did you come back here anyway?” Nico asked, voice back to its usual neutral state, the only difference being that his throat was slightly raw from crying. 

Jason had to think for a moment, why did he come back here? Remembering, he laughed. 

“Hey, Neeks, dinner’s ready if you want to eat with us.” Jason told Nico.

Nico shook his head, “You remind me too much of Jackson(ouch Nico’s still in love with Percy), Grace. You’re both painfully oblivious, forgetful, but loyal and caring.”

Nico wiped the tears off his face and told Jason he’d wait until he didn’t look like he’d been crying to go to the table. He expected Jason to wave goodbye and leave to be with the other six, but, he sat down on Nico’s bed and nodded. 

“Alright, Ghost King, wait we will.”

And with those words, Nico realized that for the first time in a while, he wasn’t alone. Nowhere near alone, actually. Nico  _~~ smiled ~~ _ grinned.

****

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End file.
